Kneejerks to Xinhua Op-Ed that does not represent broader Chinese views.

The op-ed hit something of a sweet spot for shutdown-traumatized Americans, touching on, as Max Fisher at the Washington Post put it, “the dual American anxieties that we are letting down the rest of the world and that China is finally making its move to replace us as the global leader.”

As fears mounted this week about a possible (and now, it seems, averted) U.S. government default, the U.S. press stumbled upon an Oct. 13 editorial in Xinhua, China’s largest news agency, calling for a “de-Americanized world” in light of Washington’s fiscal dysfunction. News outlets including CBS, USA Today, and Bloomberg picked up the editorial, while the Los Angeles Timesran a story with the headline “Upset over U.S. fiscal crisis, China urges a ‘de-Americanized world.'” CNBC emphasized that Xinhua was a “government voice,” and that the editorial was “government propaganda” intended for local readers. The op-ed hit something of a sweet spot for shutdown-traumatized Americans, touching on, as Max Fisher at the Washington Post put it, “the dual American anxieties that we are letting down the rest of the world and that China is finally making its move to replace us as the global leader.”

But what much of the coverage failed to mention is that the article appeared on Xinhua with the byline Liu Chang, indicating that the editorial more likely represents the views of Liu (who is identified simply as a “Xinhua writer”) and his colleagues rather than China’s top leaders, or “China” itself.

Sun Yang 孙杨 is a Chinese Olympic and world-record-holding distance swimmer. At the last Olympic Games, Sun was one of two male swimmers to win two individual titles, the other being American swimmer Michael Phelps.

China’s Sun Yang reacts after the final of the men’s 1500-metre freestyle swimming competition in the FINA World Championships in Barcelona on Aug. 4, 2013. Sun Yang won the 3rd gold of World Championship with 1,500 meter freestyle triumph. Photo – Xinhua by Xie Haining

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese star swimmer Sun Yang has become the new king of distance freestyle swimming as he completed a hat-trick of world titles after winning the 1,500m final with a commanding performance at the world championships on Sunday.

Sun collected the 400m, 800m and 1,500 free golds at Barcelona, matching a feat previously achieved only by Australian Grant Hackett in the 2005 Montreal Worlds.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old won the final in 14 minutes 41.15 seconds, with Canada’s Ryan Cochrane 1.33 seconds back for silver and Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri 4.22 adrift in third.

President Park Geun Hye arrived in Beijing today with the biggest-ever business delegation to join a South Korean leader’s state visit, signaling the importance she puts on China in boosting her nation’s economic fortunes.

Park will be joined by 71 executives, including Hyundai Motor Co. Chairman Chung Mong Koo, as her nation turns to its biggest trading partner and the world’s second biggest economy to spur growth that fell in 2012 to the slowest pace since 2009.

The four-day visit is a chance for Park, elected to a single five-year term in December, to pin down a free-trade deal as conglomerates such as Hyundai and Samsung Group (005930) look to tap China’s growing consumer class. Expanding trade ties may be crucial for Park to deliver on promises to boost employment to 70 percent by 2017 from 64.2 percent. Bloomberg

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting South Korean President Park Geun-hye before their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2013. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with South Korean President Park Geun-hye after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2013. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and South Korean President Park Geun-hye (R, front) meet with youth delegates from both countries after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 27, 2013. (Xinhua/Ma Zhancheng)

Doing what has to be done to demonstrate that no ivory tower exists in the management of Rising China’s arteries, at least for now at the ministerial level. Liu Zhijun 劉志軍, despite being head of China’s second most powerful ministry capable of some level of unilateral decision making (arguably, after the military )

Interesting his fact-file is still available on the Chinese government official portal.

Video grab shows China’s former railways minister Liu Zhijun being brought into the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing, capital of China, June 9, 2013. Liu stood trial in the court on Sunday on charges of bribery and abuse o

Video grab shows China’s former railways minister Liu Zhijun being brought into the Beijing Second Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing, capital of China, June 9, 2013. Liu stood trial in the court on Sunday on charges of bribery and abuse of power. Source – Xinhua, by Gong Lei)

BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) — China’s former railways minister Liu Zhijun stood trial in a court in Beijing on Sunday on charges of bribery and abuse of power.

According to the indictment by the Second Branch of the Beijing People’s Procuratorate, Liu took advantage of his position and helped 11 people win promotions and project contracts, and accepted 64.6 million yuan (10.53 million U.S. dollars) in bribes from them between 1986 to 2011.

During his tenure as the railways minister, Liu is suspected of helping Ding Yuxin and her relatives to win cargo transportation and railway construction contracts. He also helped them in the acquisition of shares in a bullet train wheel set company and with enterprise financing, by breaking regulations and applying favoritism, which allowed Ding and her family to reap huge profits, according to the indictment.

A ceremony is held to celebrate the test flight of an airplane using aviation biofuel at the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, east China, April 24, 2013. Sinopec, China’s top oil refiner, announced the success of the first test flight powered by the company’s newly developed aviation biofuel product on Wednesday. An Airbus A320 owned by China Eastern Airlines landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Wednesday morning after completing an 85-minute journey using Sinopec’s aviation biofuel, the company said. The biofuel made of palm oil and recycled cooking oil was produced by Sinopec Zhenhai Refining and Chemical Company. (Xinhua/Chen Fei)

China on Wednesday successfully conducted a first test flight powered by self-developed biofuel made mainly from palm oil and recycled cooking oil.

An Airbus A320 operated by China Eastern Airlines landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 7:08 a.m. after completing an 85-minute journey using aviation biofuel produced by Sinopec, the country’s top oil refiner.

The success made China the fourth country after the United States, France and Finland to boast independent production of bio-jet-fuel.

BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s keynote speech at a major regional forum in the south of China Sunday has been widely reported by media across the world and captured experts’ attention.

Indian media and strategic analysts said Xi’s speech at opening of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2013 reaffirmed China’s foreign policy, especially its Asian policy under the new leadership.

Tarun Basu, president of Indo-Asian News Service, called it an important policy speech by the new Chinese leader.

Following is the full text of the Report on the Work of the Government delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the First Session of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on March 5, 2013 and adopted on March 17, 2013:

Report on the work of the government

Delivered at the First Session of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on March 5, 2013

Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council

Fellow Deputies,

On behalf of the State Council, I now present to you the report on the government’s work of the past five years and suggestions for its work this year for your deliberation and for comments from the members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). I. Review of Work in the Past Five Years

Please click here to read the rest of the strike at its source. There are altogether twelve parts.

Xinhua: Not leaving the grey areas of corruption to chance prior to the holiday periods – a top-down directive clearly stating how public funds can not be used.

First established in 1927, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection 中国共产党中央纪律检查委员会’s current Secretary is Wang Qishan – China’s current ‘troubleshooter’, one of the seven in the latest Politburo Standing Committee.

More on the Ministry of Supervision here. It may come as a surprise for those not in the know this is a ministry with a history of female leadership. More on Ma Wen here.

BEIJING, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) — The disciplinary watchdog of the Communist Party of China (CPC), as well as the government’s supervisory authority, have called for efforts to halt extravagance during the upcoming holiday season.

The use of public funds to purchase cigarettes, liquor and gifts for government officials should be strictly prohibited, according to a circular issued by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Ministry of Supervision on Thursday.

Public spending on extravagant banquets, travel, entertainment or sporting activities will also be prohibited during the New Year holiday, as well as February’s Spring Festival, the circular said.

State media sowing the seeds of the guiding ideology that will have Xi’s name on it. The long and short of it? No giant leap, but a continuation of winning a new victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

He told the Party members to keep in mind that the Party’s overall approach is to promote economic development tuned together with political, cultural, social, and ecological progress, and that its general task is to improve the people’s livelihoods, make the country more prosperous and achieve the great renewal of the Chinese nation. (Xinhua, November 19, 2012)

BEIJING – Members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee gathered on Saturday to study and exchange opinions on the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress which concluded on November 14.

The meeting was presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

In his speech at the meeting, Xi called for efforts to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, as it is the theme of the report to the 18th CPC National Congress, which was delivered by Hu Jintao on November 8. Read the rest of this entry »

Xinhua: A peep into how Chinese leadership refreshes itself as 247 members at the 18th CPC 中国共产党全国代表大会 will rubber stamp China’s leadership transition and its calling card for the next ten years. What next after scientific development?

Hu Jintao presides over the second meeting of the presidium of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 10, 2012. Photo from Xinhua, Lan Hongguang

BEIJING, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) — Election methods of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were approved at a presidium meeting held here Saturday afternoon.

The presidium of the 18th CPC National Congress held its second meeting in the Great Hall of the People. The meeting was presided over by Hu Jintao.

The presidium decided to submit the draft resolutions on the report of the 17th CPC Central Committee, the work report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and the amendment to the Constitution of the CPC to delegations to the congress for discussion. Read the rest of this entry »